In brief
On Saturday, a rare celestial alignment will appear over the Arab world as the waning crescent moon, Venus, and Spica come together close to the horizon just before sunrise. The Jeddah Astronomy Society highlights Venus’s return to the morning sky and advises clear horizon views while warning against telescope use without proper solar filters. Observers can enjoy this view 45 to 60 minutes before dawn, with the moon approaching its new phase in two days.
The Jeddah Astronomy Society announced that on Saturday, November 7, 2026, the waning crescent moon, Venus, and the brightest star in the Virgo constellation, Spica, will align just before sunrise, forming a subtle but measurable cluster near the eastern horizon. This configuration is visible to the naked eye over the entire Arab world and provides an excellent example of a close celestial alignment, where three distinct bodies lie within a few degrees of each other.
The alignment is caused by the Moon’s position in its waning phase, about one day after it reached maximum illumination. At approximately one degree separation from the Moon, Venus will appear in the evening sky following its inferior conjunction—a point in its orbit where it sits between the Earth and the Sun—recently occurring in late October. Spica will lie roughly two to 2.5 degrees away from the Moon, making the trio appear almost as one streak of light when viewed at low light conditions.
Jeddah Astronomy Society President Eng. Majed Abu Zahra explained that this is the first time in several months that Venus will be observable before sunrise again. He noted that the alignment will occur some 45 to 60 minutes before sunrise, maximizing visibility for observers with a clear, unobstructed view of the horizon. "The Moon will reach its new phase on November 9," Abu Zahra said, indicating that the alignment will be short‑lived as the Moon progresses toward newness.
Abu Zahra also warned astronomers and casual stargazers alike about the dangers of pointing binoculars or telescopes toward the Sun during sunrise without a certified solar filter. The apparent closeness of the Moon and Venus to the Sun near the horizon can cause accidental solar observation, which can be harmful to eyesight. He emphasized that the apparent alignment is only visible from Earth; telescopic observations would merely show the same objects separated by their actual distances.
For best viewing, observers should choose a site where the eastern horizon is free of buildings or trees and prepare to look for the crescent Moon first, then scan the skyline for the sharply colored Venus and the prominent blue-white Spica. A simple pair of binoculars, or even unaided eyes in a darkened setting, will allow one to trace the movement of the three bodies decaying into sunrise. Since the alignment occurs just seconds before solar brightening, it offers an early pre‑dawn spectacle that can be photographed or simply enjoyed as a quiet moment before the day’s activities.
Around sundown, this configuration fades rapidly. By the time the Sun rises, the crescent has already moved farther away behind the horizon, creating a faint streak in the morning sky that only the most sensitive skywatchers may still notice. The Jeddah Astronomy Society’s announcement thus underscores the value of situating oneself toward the eastern horizon at the correct moment to witness planetary and lunar cooperation in real‑time.
